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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Steakhouse Sides

A couple years ago we were out to dinner and Jon had a loaded baked potato along with his steak. It was huge, topped with all the good stuff: bacon, cheese, scallions and sour cream. He's been talking about it ever since, so I knew I would make it for the birthday dinner, with my own twist.

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
russet potatoes, scrubbed (I baked two so we could have leftovers. No one is going to eat more than one half of these at a time.)
olive oil
kosher salt
milk
cheddar cheese
bacon
scallions
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prick potatoes with a fork several times.
Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake for about an hour, or until the skin is crispy and the inside is soft.
Allow to cool until you can handle the potato.
Cut in half and scoop flesh into a bowl.
Add milk, sour cream or greek yogurt, and stir until creamy. I used milk. Season with salt and pepper.
Refill potato skins with mashed filling, top with 1/4-1/2 cup of cheese and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Top with crispy crumbled bacon, chopped scallions and a dollop of sour cream for serving.

Roasted Asparagus
Roasted asparagus is a favorite around our house. Simply, fresh asparagus spears drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and roasted at 400 degrees until lightly browned at the tips.

Side note: My filet was grilled perfectly. This meal was as good as any we've had at a fancy steakhouse. Now we just need to tackle steak au poivre.